Fernando Alonso’s spectacular victory in Valencia may have moved him 20 points clear at the top of the Formula 1 2012 standings after eight races, but the title race is still wide open as numerous drivers from five different teams remain in the hunt. Going into Valencia Lewis Hamilton led the drivers’ standings, but his late collision with Williams’ Pastor Maldonaldo saw him retire, and lose out on some crucial points.
Alonso’s win was the first time that a driver had recorded two victories in 2012, after seven consecutive different winners, and is made all the more amazing by the notion that his car was horrific at the start of the year. The Ferrari struggled throughout pre-season testing, and whilst teammate Felipe Massa has constantly struggled to perform scoring only 11 points and sitting 16th in the drivers’ standings, Alonso has amassed 111. His win in Bahrain was helped by the weather, but in Valencia starting from 11th, Alonso possessed excellent race pace and craft, which combined with good tactics and others misfortune, allowed him to seal a victory, in the end by a comfortable margin over Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen.
Of course Alonso’s task was made easier by firstly the safety car triggered by Vergne’s clash with Kovalainen, and then by retirements to Sebastian Vettel and the other Lotus of Romain Grosjean. Vettel looked set to record an easy victory in the early stage of the race, being in dominant form reminiscent of 2011. Even after he took the lead after Vettel’s problems, the Spaniard was under severe pressure from Grosjean, and fortune was certainly on Alonso’s side, alongside the patriotic Spanish crowd.
Alonso has been in imperious form throughout the year, dragging in strong performances for Ferrari, when he hasn’t been given the machinery he deserves. In every race he has finished in the points, and has arguably been in the best form of his career. Even now the Ferrari is not the best car on the grid, despite making leaps forward. The Red Bull, Lotus, McLaren and arguably others are all stronger, and the fact that Alonso was only able to qualify 11th shows that. The different teams are all very close, and in this environment the skills of the top drivers are shining through, especially Alonso’s.
Another question raised by Valencia, was whether we will have an eight different winner of the year, in all likelihood there is a decent chance that over the course of the season we will. Lotus are constantly challenging for race victories, and without his mechanical issues Grosjean may well have been standing on top of the podium today. Raikkonen and Schumacher both finished on the podium today, and as well as the three already mentioned Sauber and Force India could spring a surprise on some occasion over the course of the season, as well as the other Ferrari of Felipe Massa.
Valencia will have been of great relief to Schumacher, as he finally showed signs of the great driver which he once was. After a season of bad luck, he shrugged all that aside to finish third today, and remove some of the criticism laid upon his shoulders. Most of all Valencia showed that Red Bull have great race pace, and without the safety car and his mechanical issues, Vettel would surely have surged to a comfortable victory, in scenes reminiscent of his dominance in 2011. There is still a long way to go in the season though, and if he keeps up such form, then there is no reason why he can’t go on to replicate his success of 2011. For now though it is Alonso’s moment, as his brilliance continues to shine through. The Spaniard is arguably the top driver in the current field, and undoubtedly one of the greats of all time.